On a Jet Plane…

Right about now, I am flying (something I have not done in almost 6 years). I am likely nervous, excited, and hopefully finding comfort with my coffee cup and a good book in hand. After all it’s not everyday that you get to join 100’s of like minded women in community…..

My hope is to refresh my mothering soul. I intend to learn lots and I have plans to pour into you more. Please join me as I pray for all of those who have put a great amount of effort into making this conference a success and for the life changing impact opportunities that are still to come from its labor. As a community we can achieve great things ….

I am so very thankful for this gift.

Giving Thanks -Tot Style

So if you read my other blog you know that we are strongly encouraging A to be thankful for what she has her family, home, food, friends, and the basic necessities in life not just materialistic things. We all know those things that take up space and clutter our homes but we can’t live with out! Here is a peak at what we worked on this week to stick with our theme of “Thankfulness”.

We started off thinking of others by making a homeless man a little lunch. Abby helped pack the lunch (a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, a granola bar, and a water). We drove by one of the streets near the freeway that often has a homeless person sitting with a sign and waived the lunch out the window. A was a bit confused by this “why he aint got a home?” However, I know someday she will look back at it and be grateful that she was able to help someone in need at such a young age “3” 🙂

Then Abby made a card to slip into the lunch that read “May God Bless you” and A added her own artful design to it !


We also made some “Tootsie Turkeys” as a little memory of how cute our little feet were in 2008! Abby is very excited to be growing bigger everyday so Mommy wanted to bottle up those little turkey toes! Abby of coarse loved the tracing, gluing, and cutting.

Our “2008 Tootsie Turkeys”

We also made a “Thankful Tree” with our friends on Halloween. The leaves each hold the name of someone special to Abby. This was a lot of fun to make. We love looking at it everyday on our kitchen table to remind us of how blessed we are to have such a good family.

Come check out what others are doing in Tot-School and be inspired like I am every week I log on!
Tot School

Giving Thanks

As the weather starts to get colder (who am I kidding…starts? Its down right frigid!) and the gentle snow has already graced us with its presence my darling 3 yr old jumps with delight in our living room “Santa is coming”. Listen Mama the reindeer are on our roof. (Mom and Dad smile) We have not said anything to her about reindeer, but she is running with it. In an effort to sway her imagination to some more concrete happenings in our world at this present time I am really trying to teach her about giving “Thanks” I might add this is a hard one for a 3yr old to learn. Heck, who am I kidding it is hard for adults. Adults are very easily distracted by the must haves, gotta have it, need more society we live in. However, I have found this year for what ever reason it is much easier to be “Thankful”. Thankful for my husband, my children, my home, our health, great family, and wonderful friends. So with that said here I wanted to share a recent story with you;

The other day I was driving to get a coffee….”mamas special coffee” as A would say. When I went to exit the expressway there sat a homeless man whom I have seen many times before. Sitting with his sign “homeless, hungry, please help” Many don’t know this side of me but many years ago I did a mission trip to Haiti which forever changed me. Ever since I have never really found another way in my life to give back or give more than I did at that time. Well, what ever the reason that poor man has really touched me in the same way as the orphans in Haiti! I can’t seem to shake the thought of that man sitting there as I go to buy/spoil myself with a fancy coffee. My point: there are lots of people today that need help right in your own back yard. So my new mission is to try in some small way to help, and lucky for my little ones they are coming on this mission! Today I think we are going to make the homeless man a lunch and stick it out the window as a start (I have seen many people hand him $ and one time I saw 2 teenagers give a homeless man sitting on the same corner their left over Burger King…very touching.)

So this upcoming holiday season I encourage you and your families to think a little about what things you might be able to help others in your own backyard (gift baskets, donate clothes, visit a hospital, or even a nursing home) We do not have a lot to give financially in our home but Im sure what little things we can do/provide for someone else may just mean the world to him or her. Be thankful for the things you have and give to those who maybe searching for a ray of hope!